Lost Girls
by neverenough04
Summary: Emma Swan and her two closest friends move to a quintessential beach town in northern California looking for a fresh start after finally finishing college. They didn't plan on finding love. They didn't plan on becoming targets. They didn't plan on saving the world. And they certainly didn't plan on all the damn vampires. SwanQueen (AU - Based on the movie The Lost Boys)
1. Chapter 1

"I told you to stay off the boardwalk," the policeman whispers, nightclub firmly placed beneath the woman's neck. She adjusts her shoulders, long blonde curls pulling behind her. In as many times as the three nights they've been out here, the hefty police man offers them the same warning. She nods curtly. "Come on girls. Let's go."

It had been a minor scuffle. One of the jacked-up regulars didn't like his girlfriend getting hit on, and seemingly had no qualms about starting a physical altercation with a woman. The cop materialized when their leader hit back. They jumped off the carousel, shooting daggers through smiles at the "shaken" couple. Impatience only leads to mistakes.

The policeman walks back to his car later that night, the lights of the midway clicking off in succession as though following his footsteps. He makes his way through the empty parking lot, his nondescript Camry a hundred feet away. He whistles tunelessly under his breath, happy to put another shitty night of patrolling drunks and punk teenagers behind him.

Something unsettles him, but he doesn't turn around right away, instead quickening his step. Quicker, quicker, until he breaks out into a run. He finally looks behind him, eyes wide and filled with terror. He slams into the passenger side of his Camry, fumbling with a door he knows is locked. He screams into the midnight darkness, no one around but a lone seagull perched upon a telephone pole to hear him.

…

"No more Katy Perry, pleaaaaase," Emma shouts from her perch in the backseat. Mary Margaret and Ruby ignore her completely, singing along with "Hot N Cold" like they were on their way to spring break instead of moving to a completely unfamiliar part of the country. The U-Haul trailer hitched behind Mary Margaret's ancient truck bounced along behind them, squealing and swerving every time Mary Margaret touched the brakes.

Without much in the way of employment prospects in their sleepy little hometown in Maine, the three friends decided it might be the right time for a fresh start; new home, new life. Being broke didn't help. The fact that Ruby's grandmother offered them a chance to stay with her for a while to find decent jobs in the city, save up some money, and try to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives was too tempting to pass up.

Mary Margaret has her hopes set on a public teaching job; Ruby wants to be a chef, Emma is eyeing the law enforcement track. Fresh out of college and with no experience, Emma is aware that their sights might be set high, but there's a hell of a lot more opportunity in Santa Carla than Storybrooke.

They pull up to the address Ruby had plugged into the GPS, and all three of them hunch a little and stay silent as they make their way down the long dirt driveway. Native American wood sculptures, trailers, an ungodly amount of wind chimes, and what appears to be animal bones strung up and hung from a clothesline litter the landscape.

"Um, Ruby," Mary Margaret asks, clearing her throat. "Is this the right place?"

"I don't…know," she whispers. "Granny's always been the one to visit _us_. I've never actually been to her house before."

An old woman plows through the front screen door and stands on the porch, hands on her hips, waving frantically. Ruby gulps, and waves back through the windshield.

Mary Margaret parks, and stays put for a few moments. Emma gets out, stretches her legs, and walks up the stairs with Ruby.

"Hi Mrs. Lucas, I'm Emma," Emma offers, extending her hand.

Granny pulls her in for a tight hug, slapping her hand away. "No Mrs. Lucas bullshit; call me Granny."

"Okay, Granny," Emma laughs. "This is a…great…home."

"Yep, yes it is," Granny agrees, sweeping Ruby up in a grand hug. "I missed this little girl, right here. So glad you and your friends decided to stay here for a while."

Mary Margaret walks toward them, her pastel shirt wrinkled from the ride, her head buried in her phone. "Why is this called the 'Murder Capital of the World'?" she asks quietly, before recapturing her manners and introducing herself.

"Definitely some bad elements in certain parts," Granny nods, looking out at the open field next to the house. "Just don't leave the house at night, you won't have a problem." She smiles and heads into the house, ready to give the girls a tour.

Emma, Ruby, and Mary Margaret look at each other warily, wondering why in the hell no one had done much research before they upped and left the only home they had ever known. Ruby shrugged and smiled, almost guiltily, before following her grandmother into the house.

" _Don't leave the house at night?"_ Mary Margaret repeats incredulously. "What does that even mean?"

Emma puts a hand on her arm, hoisting her bag higher up on her shoulder. "It's fine, Mary Margaret. She's not a kid anymore, I'm sure she gets spooked by a lot of things. And it's not like we have to live here forever. Let's take advantage of the free rent and warm air and live a little. "

" _We're_ not kids anymore either, Emma. I'll be twenty-four next month. I have my Master's degree. I feel pathetic."

"Oh, stop. We'll be paying off student loans for the next fifty years of our lives, so _again_ , let's take advantage of carefree living for a little while. Come on," she nudges her friend, finally getting her to crack a smile. They follow Ruby into the living room, where they are once again in a state of shock.

"Gran? Did you, um, take up a new hobby?" Ruby asks, eyes scanning every inch of the log-cabin style home.

"Hardly call it new. I've been dating the Widower Johnson for quite a while now, and he's animal control for these parts. He brings me the leftover road kill, I clean it up. It's very soothing."

Stuffed animals decorated most surfaces in the living room; the den held large pots of water for boiling, presumably, bones.

"Yeah, I'm out," Mary Margaret whispers to Emma, panic rising in her voice. "I'm going to see if someone will loan me the money for a plane ticket, because I just can't, I can't, I don't think I, I really just can't."

Emma nods, not sure whether to laugh or cry. "Hold it together. Really, it's just for a little while. She's not _killing_ anything, Mary Margaret. These poor animals were already…dead. So she's just giving them a little dignity, right?" Emma tries, sounding like she's talking to a small child.

Ruby appears with three Mic Ultras, gladly accepted by everyone. "We'll unpack the truck in a little bit." She takes a long pull of her beer and sighs contentedly.

Granny's off in the kitchen, doing god knows what, while Mary Margaret whisper-yells at Ruby. "You told us she lived in a quaint four-bedroom log cabin! This is not quaint! This is not what California is supposed to look like! This is not a home away from home! This is fucking _Deliverance!"_

Emma and Ruby both just stare at their friend, who _never_ curses unless serious shit is going down. This obviously qualifies.

"I didn't know! Granny told me she lived in a log cabin near the ocean and me and my friends were more than welcome to stay with her! Should I have _asked_ if her house was littered with dead animals? Because you can sure-as-shit bet that I will be asking that of any future landlord!" Ruby's fists are clenched and her face is red.

"Guys. Guys." Emma interrupts, running her hand through her hair. "It's just different, not what we're used to. We'll adjust – it's not like we can pool our money and go grab a three-bedroom apartment in Bel-Air. Seriously, this is an amazing gesture on Granny's part, and we should just be gracious about it and try to make it work for a few months. Then we can revisit. Okay?" she asks, trying not to sound desperate.

Ruby nods easily, Mary Margaret sulks for a minute, before relenting and briefly nodding, complete with an air of unease.

…

Emma unpacks the last of her stuff, looking around her new bedroom. She nods, feeling like it is about as close to homey as she's going to get. She sits on her bed with the bared-teeth wolf comforter and smirks at Granny's choice of décor. It's a far cry from their apartment in Storybrooke, but sometimes different isn't always a bad thing. If she hadn't been searching for more, _longing_ for more, she's sure they could have made it work one way or another. But if she didn't want to end up in a job that wasn't fulfilling, with the same people she'd known all her life up in her business, she knew this was a shot at something better.

"Come on," she says, poking her head into Ruby's room, where she and Mary Margaret are trying to figure out what to do with the stuffed owl Granny placed on her nightstand. "Let's go out."

"But Granny said," Mary Margaret cautioned, motioning to the night sky out the window.

"I'm sure she was just being protective. We're not going to spend every night locked up in the house after seven pm. I want to check out the boardwalk," Emma says, rolling her fingers for them to hurry up.

"I'm game," Ruby tells them, straightening her shirt in the oversized mirror above her dresser. Mary Margaret still doesn't look thrilled, but combs her hair anyway.

…

Loud music, carnival barkers, dings and bleeps from arcade games fill the atmosphere, giving the boardwalk a heightened sense of fun, though dread and danger seem to lurk just beneath the surface. It's not late, maybe a little after ten. The perception that _something_ is about to happen crackles through the air, and Emma's awareness of her surroundings is amplified.

She looks around in wonder, Emma's been to amusement parks and carnivals many times in her life, but nothing quite like this, where it's a fixture, just part of the everyday scene. Roller coasters clamber down sky-high tracks, but the screams that usually accompany thrill rides are muted, if present at all. The carousel music sounds more haunting that playful, and she wonders if it's the lack of children. The ride is full, mostly with drunk people and frat boys and hardened locals.

"Let's go listen to the band," Ruby suggests, pulling Emma by the wrist. Mary Margaret is in tow, holding onto Ruby's shirt as they make their way through the crowd.

The lead singer plays the saxophone while Emma moves to the beat, scanning the audience for nothing in particular. Her eyes make a hard stop on a woman walking in front of them. She is quite possibly the most beautiful woman Emma has ever seen, in fact, Emma _knows_ she's the most beautiful woman she's ever seen. Her dark hair floats just past her shoulders, her lacy tank-top hugs her curves in all the right ways, her full, blood-red lips beg to be kissed. She has an air of arrogance mixed with sadness. Emma's mouth is hanging open, just a little, until Ruby pushes her fingers under her chin to close it, smiling. Emma shakes her head slightly, clearing the cobwebs, while making sure not to lose sight of her. There she is again, standing near the stage, just under one of the oversize speakers. Her eyes are closed, she's moving languidly to the music, subtle and free. When she opens her eyes, they are directly on Emma's, who can't bear to look away, even though she feel like she has to or else she will drown in this stranger's depth right this very second. Emma swallows, everything around her fading into the background like she's the focus of a director's dolly shot. She keeps staring, deciding if she should will her legs to carry her forward. The woman turns slightly, keeping her gaze locked on Emma, before disappearing into the swaying crowd.


	2. Chapter 2

Watching Emma take off after the mystery woman she'd been gawking at, Mary Margaret rolls her eyes. She walks down the boardwalk with Ruby, who is more interested in flirting with the gaggle of guys throwing smiles and raised eyebrows her way. Promising to meet up with her later, Mary Margaret enters a retro CD-DVD-Oddities shop, posters of 80's movies littering the windows. Standing at the counter is a handsome man who flashes her a bright smile.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before," he says, straightening some boxes near the register.

Mary Margaret smiles back, happy to see a friendly face. "I actually just moved here. With my friends. Just trying to find my way around."

"Well, welcome. I'm Victor, and this is my pal, Thorn," he tells her, motioning to his pure white Shepard, lying near his feet. "Something I can help you find?"

Mary Margaret bends down to pet his dog and her eyes wander to the "Help Wanted" sign posted on the front of the counter. "I'm hoping to start a teaching job in the fall, but in the meantime I wouldn't mind doing something part-time. Are you still looking for someone?"

Victor smiles warmly and retrieves an application from his manila file folder.

…

She's ordering a soda or something at a window of one of the many pizza joints that line the boardwalk. Emma stands back, feeling very stalkerish but afraid to lose sight of her again if she walks away. She suddenly feels inadequate, in her ripped jeans, red t-shirt, and worn flip-flops. Not that the woman is all dressed up, but she carries a sort of class about her, an effortless beauty that is as equally intimidating as it is intriguing.

Emma sees her walking away, and tries to build the nerve to say something, _anything._ But as she closes the distance between them, she sees the woman head toward a motorcycle and straddle the driver from behind. They both look over at her in that moment, and Emma knows she can't pretend that she wasn't looking at them. She manages a small smile, one that the woman returns through hooded eyes. The driver, an attractive woman with an ungodly amount of blonde curls falling down the back of her leather jacket, smiles too. It's not unfriendly, but it isn't even slightly warm. Three others slowly pull up beside them, ready to ride single file away from the boardwalk. They all look at Emma as well, but none of them even attempt the pretense of affability.

…

Ruby flips through comic books, appreciating the atmosphere of the tiny, hole-in-the-wall establishment. It's dark and a little dingy, but everything is organized perfectly. She gets the feeling that the two women running the place know their stuff, and that puts her at ease. She finds an old issue of _Betty and Veronica_ and perks up.

"That what you're into?" a heavily accented voice asks from behind. Ruby jumps a little, but turns to see eyes peeking over her shoulder from under a heavy mop of read curls.

"Um, yeah, I like this kind of stuff," Ruby shrugs. "It's fluffy and harmless and totally unrealistic."

The owner softens. "True. If I'm being honest, I don't mind picking up an _Archie_ every once in a while myself. You new here?"

Ruby nods. "New like, today new. My friends and I are here from Maine. Trying out the west coast for a while."

"Why did you pick Santa Carla, of all places you could have chosen?"

"My grandmother lives here. We're staying with her. I'm Ruby, by the way."

"Merida. Has your grandmother told you about the kinds of things that…go on here?"

Ruby's smile falters. "Uh, like what?"

The other woman standing nearby comes over and interrupts. "Merida, let it be. Welcome to Santa Carla. I'm sure you'll love it here," she scoffs.

"What's going on? Seriously," Ruby prods, putting the comic back in its slot on the rack.

"Tell her, Mulan. Better safe than sorry," Merida chides, straightening the comic Ruby put down.

Mulan glares at her for a moment before selecting something from the back wall. "Here, read this."

Ruby looks down to see a pale-faced man clutching at his stomach, a stake digging into his flesh. Blood drips from yellowed fangs. Above his head is the title _Vampires Everywhere._ "Ah, no thanks," she shrugs. "Not a fan of horror comics."

"Take this one. Think of it as more of a survival guide than a comic," Mulan says, reaching for a pen. She scrawls something on the back and tries to hand it to Ruby again.

"You're fucking with me, right?" Ruby smiles, looking back and forth between Mulan and Merida. "Funny."

Merida shakes her head in amusement. "It's fine. You can think we're crazy, we won't be insulted. Our number is on the back. Just hope you never need it."

Ruby looks at them, incredulous. "Okay, whatever." She folds the comic in half, despite the audible wincing of Merida and Mulan, and stuffs it into her purse. "I'll hope I never need it. So…do I need to actually pay for this?"

…

The tilt-a-whirl's spinning tight circles, mixed with the cloying scent of fried dough and candy apples. Emma watches the ride go back and forth, back and forth, and closes her eyes for a second to fend off dizziness. She looks for Ruby and Mary Margaret, but both of them have gone off in different directions. She doubts either of them would hear the ping of a text or the ring of a phone over the constant stream of noise. She supposes it's her own fault for leaving them in the first place to chase down an apparition.

Emma decides it's probably time to head toward the car, since they all have to meet up there at some point anyway. Toward the end of the boardwalk, she stops to watch a heavy bald man tattooing a flower on a teenager's ankle. While questioning how sanitary that is, she feels someone sidle up behind her. "I wouldn't," is whispered softly in her ear.

She turns to see the object of her fascination, having forgotten how beautiful she actually was in the time since she had seen her last. Emma's breath catches in her throat, but she manages to squeak out a few coherent words. "Oh, I wasn't going to. I was just watching."

"Good," the woman says, and turns to walk away. Emma tugs on the hem of her shirt to straighten herself out and follows.

"Hey, wait up," she calls, feeling supremely stupid. "What's your name?"

"Regina," the woman answers, not stopping, but slowing her step so that's she's in stride with Emma.

"Regina. I like that. I'm Emma."

"What are you doing out here, Emma?"

"Just checking things out. It's my first time here."

Regina nods, arching an eyebrow.

Hesitating, but not wanting her to just walk away, Emma asks urgently, "Are you hungry? Do you want to grab something to eat?"

Regina pauses, stopping mid-stride. She looks at Emma and smiles softly, searching her for something, though Emma has no idea what. "I could eat."

"Great," Emma says loudly, and then reprimands herself to reign it in. No need to look desperate. "What's good around here?"

Regina begins to speak, when the drone of motorcycles drown her out. Her face noticeably falls. Four bikes pull up, surrounding them.

"What are you doing, Regina?" the blonde asks, lighting a cigarette and dragging on it slowly.

"Nothing, Mal," she sighs. "Just talking a walk. This is Emma."

"Emma," she greets, again more of a sneer than a smile. "Let's go," she says pointedly to Regina.

Regina hesitates, looks at Emma sadly, but mounts the back of Mal's motorcycle.

Not really understanding what the hell is happening, Emma speaks up, ignoring the pounding in her chest. "We were just going to get something to eat, I don't see why-"

Mal interrupts her, crushing out the half-smoked cigarette with her black leather boot. "Let's go for a ride. Come on, _Emma,"_ she taunts, drawing out the syllables in Emma's name.

"I'm actually here with some friends, so I should-"

Mal interrupts here again. "Suit yourself," she says slowly, leaning back to trace a finger under Regina's chin. Regina looks down, a mix of guilt and disgust.

"No, I'll go," Emma says forcefully. She stares Regina down, accepting a silent challenge that Regina has not even offered. Regina meets her eyes and widens them, trying to tell her something, but Emma is too irritated to care.

"Excellent," Mal smiles, nodding to one of her friends, who walks her bike right up next to Emma. "This is Zelena, she'll take good care of you. This is Ursula, and that's Cruella," Mal introduces, while Regina looks severely uncomfortable behind her.

"Hi," Emma says, climbing onto the back of the large black Harley. Zelena nods in greeting, scooting up to allow Emma some room. She's unsure if she should put her arms around Zelena's waist or hold onto the metal bars behind her. She opts for the bars.

"Let's get wild," Mal snickers, revving her engine. They take off at warp speed, flying down a dirt road that Emma isn't sure is even meant for vehicles. She grips tightly behind her, cursing herself for even thinking about getting on the back of Zelena's bike. _What the fuck I am doing?_ She wasn't the type to try to impress anyone, never mind someone she had literally met in the last hour. But there was something about Regina that had drawn Emma to her, and for some unknown reason the thought of never seeing her again created a panic in her chest that she couldn't tamp down. Still, what she was doing was stupid and she knew it.

The wind whipped so hard against her face Emma was sure she would have windburn if she made it out of this alive. They rode beyond the dirt road and through a copse of trees, roots and leaves crunching beneath them. On a tight turn, Emma decides to fuck politeness and grasps frantically onto Zelena's waist. Zelena doesn't react one way or another.

They finally come to a halting, screeching stop on a rocky cliff overlooking the Pacific. Emma jumps off the bike, thankful to be on solid ground, and feels her anger rise exponentially.

"What the fuck was that?" she yells, bypassing Zelena entirely and standing very close to Mal. "You thought it'd be fun to scare me? Fucking psycho." Emma turns to walk away, no idea where she is going, until Mal grabs her wrist.

"How far are you willing to go, Emma?" she asks, eyes glinting in the moonlight, that same smirk gracing her lips.

"Mal, stop it." Regina stands between them, focusing on Mal. She is burning a hole through her. Mal regains her composure and waves her hand in the air.

"Wasn't trying to scare you. I thought you might appreciate a little thrill," she shrugs, heading toward one of the larger trees behind them. The other three follow close behind, laughing and whooping it up. Regina lags behind, watching the still-shaken Emma.

"I'm sorry," she says quietly. "I tried to warn you not to come."

"You couldn't use your words?" Emma scoffs, rubbing her arm roughly.

"No," Regina clears her throat. "I couldn't. If you decide to see me again, I'll explain. But I can't right now." She heads toward the other women, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Emma stares in disbelief, not even comprehending what is happening right now. Ruby and Mary Margaret are probably bullshit at her for taking off. She pulls out her phone and shoots off a quick text to tell them to just head home, she'll get a ride, and she's sorry. The signal is weak at best, so she hopes the message makes it to them.

"Are you coming?" Mal calls, her voice echoing.

Emma breathes deeply, throws her head back to appreciate the moon for a brief second before she unwittingly follows them down the blackened path.

She looks down at a fire-lit cavern of some sort and makes her way down a crude stone ladder. The walls are covered in Aztec patterns, large wooden columns stand in the center. Tree limbs climb their way up crooked walls, stone benches and a large, plush, captain's chair provide seating. Emma looks around in awe.

"Not bad, huh?" Mal asks, watching Ursula use a tree-branch torch to light the kindling in metal barrels strategically placed around the room. "This was the hottest resort in Santa Carla about eight-five years ago. Too bad they built it on a fault. In 1906, when the Big One hit San Francisco, the ground opened up, and this place took a header right into the crack. So now it's ours," Mal explains, raising her eyebrows playfully.

Emma says nothing, but swallows uncomfortably. She feels Regina place a hand on the small of her back, only to remove it quickly.

"Now," Mal says, clapping her hands. "You two were going to eat? Then let's eat."


	3. Chapter 3

"Appetizer?" Mal asks, taking a hit off a freshly lit joint and handing it to Emma. Emma pauses, but accepts.

She feels clouds begin to creep in, a calming and satisfying feeling. She sits on one of the stone benches, Regina standing behind her, still looking uneasy. "You can go," she whispers, tucking her hair behind her ears.

Emma shakes her head, giving her a slight smile. She figures she's come this far with this insane bunch of weirdos, she might as well see it through.

Ursula appears with a brown paper bag, Mal's face lights up. "Ah, Chinese. Good choice." She's handed a white container and some chopsticks and takes a seat across from Emma. She smiles wryly. "Rice?" she offers.

Emma shakes her head, holding up a hand. "No, I'm good, thanks."

"Oh, come on. You two said you were going to eat. Who doesn't like rice?" Mal asks, looking directly at Regina.

Sighing, Emma takes the bait. "Okay," she says using the plastic spoon Mal hands her. She takes a bite of rice and is unsure why the rest of them are laughing. Except Regina, her face is still stone.

"How are those maggots, Emma?"

Emma rolls her eyes. "What?"

"You're eating maggots."

Emma looks into the container and sees thousands of wiggling maggots. She throws the container and spits out her mouthful, gagging. The laughter intensifies. She looks down at the ground and sees the tipped container, with nothing but white rice spilled out onto the ground.

"Leave her alone," Regina says sternly.

Mal's face falls. "Sorry, Emma. Just having a little fun. Have some noodles," she offers, handing Emma another container.

Feeling like she is in some kind of bizarre nightmare, Emma tries to regain her composure. Maybe it was bad weed. She shakes her head and looks into the box of noodles. Instead of noodles, she sees wriggling earthworms and stands in horror. "They're worms," she says, panic rising in her throat.

Mal laughs and uses her chopsticks to bring a few to her mouth. "Don't!" Emma yells, but it's too late. Mal sucks up the last of them, just regular lo-mein noodles, still smiling. "Just noodles, Emma. Just noodles."

"Yeah," Emma says, feeling a pit in her stomach. "I'm gonna go. This is too fucked up for my taste."

Mal cocks her head, a challenging smirk on her lips. "I'm sorry, Emma. Obviously we're not used to guests. Please, have a drink."

"Enough. She said she's leaving," Regina spits, stepping toward Mal. Something makes her stop.

Mal looks away from Regina and raises her eyebrows, handing the bottle of wine to Emma, who takes it cautiously. "I'm sorry I don't have a glass to offer you. We weren't planning on company."

"Emma, don't. It's blood." Regina's quickly next to Emma, palm up, asking her for the bottle.

Thoroughly disbelieving _anything_ that has taken place over the last few hours, Emma laughs bitterly. "Sure, it is. Funny," she says, pissed off that Regina is now going along with the group. If nothing else, she felt that Regina was almost, if not as much, of an outsider as she is. She shakes her head and takes a long drink, an unfamiliar texture and mildly unpleasant taste sliding down her throat.

Regina closes her eyes while time seems to stop around them. She opens them slowly, backing away from the group into the blackness that the cavern offers, breathing heavily.

Suddenly, Emma feels like the walls are closing in on her, and she has to get out of there. The last thing she wants is to have an anxiety attack in front of these people. She mumbles some variation of thanks and makes her way up the ladder thing leading outside. She hears Zelena say something about being "one of us" now, but ignores her and keeps going. Once in the cool night air, Emma sucks in breaths as though she were drowning for the last hour. She fumbles with her cell phone to ask one of her friends to come find her, pick her up, get her out of here. But before she can even unlock her home screen, she falls to her knees and then blacks out.

…

Emma opens her eyes slowly, the sun bearing down on her from the cracks in her blinds. She fumbles for the sunglasses on her nightstand and clumsily puts them on. She looks down to see she is still fully dressed, lying on top of the covers of her new bed.

The door slams open and Mary Margaret stalks in. "Emma! It's two o'clock in the afternoon. What is going on with you?"

Ruby slinks up behind her, filing her nails in the doorway. "I take it you found the little minx you were after?" she asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

Emma coughs, her chest feeling tight and her stomach feeling hollow. "It was seriously the most fucked up night in my entire life. She was there, her name's Regina, but there was this like, motorcycle gang or whatever that she hangs with. I really don't feel good, can you kill the light?"

Mary Margaret obliges, and sits on the edge of Emma's bed while she recalls the events of the previous night. "How did you get home?" she asks, crossing her legs at the ankle.

Emma thinks for a minute. "I don't actually…know. One of them must have taken me home, though I don't remember giving them the address. I guess I could have. I don't know," she repeats, fighting off a shiver.

"Are you going to see her again?" Ruby asks, moving closer.

"I seriously doubt it. Although if I do, and she asks, I probably wouldn't say no," Emma chuckles.

Mary Margaret shakes her head. "I have to go work. While you were out getting high and eating worms, I got a job."

Ruby snickers. "I met a few…interesting people too. So, are we in agreement? We'll give this a few months, and then maybe think about moving on?"

"I don't know," Mary Margaret shrugs. "We should give it a chance, at least."

"Ha! Our little friend has a boyfriend already."

Emma perks up, but Mary Margaret slaps Ruby on the arm. "I do _not_. Victor does seem very nice though."

"His last name is _Whale_ ," Ruby tells Emma, bright smile on her face.

Mary Margaret frowns. " _So?_ "

Ruby laughs, and Emma lays back down covering her face with a pillow.

…

Emma sits on the top of a rickety picnic table, looking out into the darkness. Mary Margaret is working, Ruby is out at the boardwalk, and Granny is off somewhere with the Widower Johnson. She's alone, but she doesn't feel alone. She also knows something's wrong. She's fidgety and irritable and empty. Since the night in the cave, she's wondered numerous times if they drugged her. But wouldn't it have worn off by now? She knows her friends have noticed something's different, but they can't seem to place it either. In all honesty, she just wants to go home.

"I never should have spoken to you that night," a voice, face obscured by a sagging tree, whispers into the night.

Emma jumps off the table, knowing it's Regina before seeing her face. She looks back at the table which she realizes now stands about twenty feet behind her. _Not possible_ , she thinks, on the brink of tears for the hundredth time that day.

Regina walks out of the shadows, her dark hair framing her face like a demonic angel. "I knew better than to test the balance. I knew I should have left well enough alone. I'm sorry."

Emma stares at her, searching for answers. "What did they do to me?"

"I told you what they did. She made you drink blood."

"That's – insane. Do I have some sort of disease now? I don't feel right."

"In a manner of speaking. I wasn't always this weak-willed, spineless ragdoll. I drank it too. Mal's powerful, and very hard to resist. It's my fault she got to you too," Regina says, her lip curled in disgust.

"Okay, thank you. I forgive you for letting her get to me. But I'm not really interested in blaming anyone right now. Can you _please_ tell me what the fuck is going on?"

Regina runs a hand through her hair. "You won't believe me."

"Try me."

"They're vampires. All of them."

Emma just stares at her.

"Okay. Okay, you know what? Fuck you. Fuck you all. Your stupid lady-gang or whatever the hell it is seems to get off on screwing with people and you're all just pathetic. You can go now," Emma says bitterly, turning back toward the house.

Before she knows what's happening, Regina is in front of her. Her eyes are reddish-gold, like a wild animal. "I'm telling you the truth," she says slowly, the words dripping with gravel.

Emma scurries backward, nearly tripping on a rock. "What's wrong with you? Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Regina's eyes go back to normal, deep brown filled with regret. "The same thing that's wrong with _you._ The _yearning._ The _need._ I feel it too."

"I'm having an episode," Emma rationalizes, rolling her neck back and forth. "I obviously have a brain tumor, or some sort of mental affliction. This is not real. This is not real," she says again, closing her eyes.

"Welcome to Santa Carla," Regina scoffs. "Murder capital of the world."

Emma looks to the sky, breathing out a mix of disbelief and panic. "I just thought you were pretty. I just wanted to say hello to you, maybe ask you out for drink. You could have been straight. You could have been married. You could have thought I was unattractive. But you're saying…that you're a _vampire_ , and maybe I'm one now too because I had to prove I had a bigger _dick_ than Mal and went to some hole in the ground where I drank fucking blood. Does that sound about right? Regina?" Emma could feel tears pricking her eyes but she didn't care. She let them come.

Regina breathes out softly. "I'm sorry, Emma. I felt it too. When I saw you looking at me, there was this…electricity between us and I thought I could handle it. I didn't know she was going to show up. Honestly, I didn't."

"Does this mean that I'm…dead?" Emma asks, wanting to laugh at the stupidity of her question.

"No. Things happen in stages. The blood is mixing with your own. Once a certain…craving is satisfied, another transformation begins."

"So if I don't give in to that _craving_ , then I'm not actually a motherfucking _vampire?"_

Regina winces at the crass description. "It's complicated, but you are still in the early stage of the change. So far." She reaches out for Emma's hand, her thumb grazing the top of Emma's wrist.

Emma pulls her hand back like she's being burned. Regina looks crestfallen for a moment, then masks her face with haughtiness. "I am sorry, Emma. But next time you want to _flirt_ with someone don't be so quick to sell your soul."

" _Are you fucking kidding me right-"_ Emma starts, appalled at the nerve of this woman to place _any_ sort of blame on her for this violent insanity. Before she can finish her sentence, Regina is gone.

"Regina?" she calls quietly. She's really gone. Not walking away gone, but gone-gone. "I need to get drunk," Emma whispers to no one, before sitting on the picnic table bench and sobbing into her sleeve.


	4. Chapter 4

Ruby shuts the door softly behind her, runs a hand through her hair. Emma is sleeping fitfully, tossing and moaning softly. She walks over to her and nudges her on the arm. "Em," she whispers. No response. She nudges harder and says her name louder.

"What?" Emma asks, sitting up abruptly. Her eyebrows are knitted together and she's clearly annoyed.

"It's five o'clock. You have literally slept the day away again. Are you sick?"

"No, I'm just on a…weird schedule right now. It's fine, Ruby. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

Emma inhales deeply. "I'm up. Okay, I'm up. Happy?" she asks, throwing the covers off of herself. Her flipped blanket knocks a water glass off of the nightstand, shattering it on the floor. "Fuck," she says, trying to sidestep the glass. A large shard embeds in her foot, and she gasps sharply. Blood seeps out onto the hardwood.

"Jesus, that looks-" Ruby starts toward Emma again, reaching out for her foot.

"Don't!" Emma yells, putting a hand up to Ruby. They both freeze, open-mouthed, when Ruby is pushed violently against the far wall by an unseen force. "I'm…sorry, I don't know what happened."

Ruby stares at her, panicked. She inches toward the door while Emma removes the piece of glass lodged in her heel. Before the glass hits the floor, Emma's wound is sealed and no trace of incident remains.

Ruby sees this too. "Emma," she croaks, but flees the bedroom before she can say anything more. Emma continues to stare at her foot.

Once safely in her room, Ruby dials Mary Margaret furiously. "You have to come home, right now," she hisses. "Something's really wrong with Emma!"

Mary Margaret ends the call, not bothering to wait for Victor to return from the restroom. She runs out of the restaurant and hurries home.

…

"Ruby, come on," Emma knocks, pleading with the door. "I have to talk to you, please."

"No."

"Ruby, it's me! I'm your friend, just listen to me!" Emma leans her head on the door, feeling fog surround her brain once again.

"Are you going to kill me?"

" _What?!_ No!"

The door opens a crack, and Ruby runs back to her bed. She puts her back against the wall and brings her knees up to her chest. Emma eyes the comic book sitting on her nightstand, _Vampires Everywhere._ Ruby watches her.

"What do you know about this?" Emma asks, nodding to the comic.

"Are you serious right now?"

Emma says nothing, only looks to the ceiling and closes her eyes.

"Those two crackpots at the comic book store said that… _those things…_ were all over the place here. Obviously I didn't believe them, because I am NOT INSANE." Ruby yells out the last part, covering her face with her hands.

"I don't even know what to say. It was those girls, from the other night. Regina's "friends" or whatever they are. She told me they made me drink blood, I assume it was Mal's, and it turned me into this fucking…creature. Regina confirmed it."

Ruby looks at her incredulously. "So we just accept this, and stake you in the heart? Basically?"

"I don't know! I have to find Regina. She has to know something."

"Is that really the best idea? She did this! I called Mary Margaret, she'll be home any minute."

Emma shakes her head. "No, please don't tell Mary Margaret. Not yet. Please. I'll figure this out, I really don't want to involve her in this right now."

Ruby looks skeptical, but nods hesitantly. Emma's probably right. Mary Margaret would likely have a coronary if she found out what was really going on.

On cue, Mary Margaret bursts into Ruby's room, looking at the both of them expectantly. "What's going on? Are you okay?" she says, taking Emma's hand.

"I'm okay. I stepped on some glass, but it's not a big deal. Promise." Emma looks down, hoping Mary Margaret doesn't ask to see evidence.

"You cut your foot?" she asks, eyes wide, looking at Ruby. "You made it sound like her appendix burst."

Ruby chuckles nervously. "I totally overreacted, I'm really, really sorry. I thought it was way worse than it was. I know you were out with Victor, I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Mary Margaret was hiding her anger, poorly. "I'm glad you're okay," she tells Emma through gritted teeth. "I'll go call Victor now and apologize." She walks out of the room without another word, leaving Emma and Ruby to stare after her guiltily. Ruby chuckles again.

"This is unfuckingbelievable."

…

"I just wanted to do something nice for him, since I ran out on him like an idiot last night," Mary Margaret tells Ruby, pulling up in front of Victor's long driveway. She's carrying a large iced coffee, just the way he takes it. "Even though you should be the one apologizing."

Ruby rolls her eyes and leans out the window, letting the sun hit her face. "I said I was sorry."

Mary Margaret opens the gate to the driveway, closing it behind her. She gets up to the door and hears scratching on the pavement. "Hi Thorn," she greets warmly, reaching down to pet him.

His ears go back, he growls, he bares his teeth. Mary Margaret stands up quickly, unsure why the normally friendly dog is acting this way. She starts to back up slowly, but he's off, so she runs at full speed. She throws the iced coffee to the ground behind her, hoping to stall him. She yells for Ruby, who jumps out of the truck. Thorn latches on to the bottom of her skirt, tearing shreds away while Mary Margaret swings her legs over the fence. Ruby grabs her and pulls her over, where they both fall to the ground. They sigh in relief before realizing Thorn is trying to plow his way through the wooden planks to get at them. They scramble up quickly, leap into the truck and close the doors behind them. They watch as Thorn lazily walks back toward the house, wagging his tail.

…

"You have to kill her."

Mulan, Merida, and Ruby sit at a card table in the back of their shop, surrounded by comic books and gas station soda cups.

"Not an option, guys. She's my best friend. There has to be another way."

Merida cracks her knuckles and puts her feet up on the table. "The only other way to turn a vampire back into a human is to kill the head vampire. And that only works if they haven't made their first kill. Has she done that yet?"

Ruby shakes her head, cursing her life and everything in it. "I don't think so. She's pretty freaked out by this, obviously."

"Does she know the head vampire?"

"Doubt it."

"Then you have to kill her," Mulan shrugs, taking a long sip of Mountain Dew.

"No! We'll have to figure out who the head vampire is, because this is my life and I am now a supernatural Nancy Drew." Ruby throws her head down on the table.

"Can you at least try to be an adult about this?" Merida asks, the irony lost. "It's not that easy, but you could look for signs, I guess. The head vampire usually stays away from any other vampires. They're very personable. They're usually heavily guarded during the daytime – most likely by a dog or some sort of –"

Ruby cuts her off. "Guarded by a dog? Like a vicious dog?"

"Probably. It'd need to scare off any intruders."

Ruby tells them about their encounter with Thorn, but aside from that, she has no other evidence to go on.

"Well, it's a lead, if nothing else. We'll check out Victor," Mulan tells her, nodding solemnly.

…

Emma pedals Granny's ancient ten-speed, trying desperately to remember the route they took to the cave that night. The path is well-worn by motorcycle tracks, so she is following them closely. She saw Mal and the others on the boardwalk earlier that night Regina nowhere in sight. She stops to take a quick break after nearly wiping out on a tree root, breathing heavily. She's in shape, but it's been a very long time since she rode a bike any type of distance. She checks her phone to see a text from Ruby.

 _DON'T KILL ANYONE. Just trust me on this._

She shakes her head, certainly not planning on killing anyone. Although honestly, she's relieved that Ruby knows and is helping her figure out how the hell she should handle this. Unchartered territory to say the least.

Emma searches for the opening, leaning the bicycle against one of the enormous trees nearby. She flips on her phone flashlight and finds her footing.

"Regina?" she calls loudly, hearing herself echo. She makes her way through the cavern, awed at how big it really is. It is sectioned off into rooms with curtains and beads and it's both modern and a throwback from the seventies. "Regina?" she yells again.

"I'm here," a voice calls back her. Emma finds her sitting on a bed, hands clutching the side of the mattress.

"Thank god," Emma sighs, sitting next to her. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you the other night."

Regina laughs bitterly. "You hardly need to apologize. I dropped a lot of information on you. Completely illogical information, but…" she trails off.

"Yeah. My friend is seeing if there is anything we can do to um, make this go away," Emma says, waving her hand flippantly between them. "It's worth a shot, I guess."

"That it is," Regina nods.

"Are you and Mal together?" Emma asks, in amazement that such questions still burn for an answer in the midst of her nightmare.

"No. We were, a while ago. It's been over for a long time."

Emma shifts uncomfortably. "How long have you been like this?"

"Longer than I care to remember. It's miserable. I know that if I just…give in to it, I'll finally feel at peace. Sated. Alive. But I can't. I've been battling the darkness my entire life, it seems. Now it's just a tangible darkness." Regina eyes fill, but she quickly blinks any evidence away.

"Do you mean…feed? Kill?" Emma asks, grimacing.

Regina is silent, but nods her head slowly.

"I'm glad you have someone to help you, Emma. This is a…very lonely life. I'm not one of them, but I'm not _not_ one of them. Again, I'm so sorry. I never meant to drag you-"

Before Regina can finish, Emma entwines their fingers together and leans in to kiss her. Regina is taken aback, but quickly melts into Emma's lips, relishing the warmth and tenderness that has been missing for so long. Emma cups her neck softly, letting her fingers skip gently along the top of Regina's spine. Regina mmms in approval, wrapping her arms around Emma's waist, pulling her closer. Their mouths explore easily, tongues cautiously dancing. The hunger that's been threatening Emma kicks into overdrive, and she has to physically remind herself that there is a line she does not want to cross. Regina pulls her down, so that their legs are both off the bed, but their torsos are touching, and hands begin to roam. The sound of motorcycles in the distance break them from their trance.

"I should go," Emma says, the taste of Regina still on her lips. Regina nods, her lips pink and swollen, as she pulls Emma in for one last kiss. It's tender and sweet but full of need and suggestion. Emma pulls herself together, dazed again by Regina's tragic beauty. She shakes it off and manages to smile at her, just a little, before hauling ass out of the cavern.

…

Across town, Ruby answers the door for a very well-dressed Victor.

"Nice to finally meet you," Ruby smiles, opening the door wider.

"You as well," Victor says, returning the smile. "May I come in?"

"Um, yes, of course," Ruby answers, motioning for him to walk into the living room.

"Thank you. Is Mary Margaret in the kitchen?"

"Yes, she is. Oh, Victor, these are my dinner guests, Mulan and Merida."

There are nods and handshakes and tight-lipped smiles.

"Victor!" Mary Margaret calls out, setting a basket of rolls down on the kitchen table. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," she says, kissing him lightly on the lips. Ruby looks to the ground, feeling slightly guilty for manipulating Mary Margaret into inviting him over. Ruby knew she thought it was weird, that she was so freaking _adamant_ that Victor come over for their impromptu dinner party, but Mary Margaret was so happy that Ruby wanted to meet him that she let it slide.

They all sit at the table, conversation strained, but Mary Margaret keeps it going with inane chatter about the school system in Santa Carla. Ruby sees Merida watching Victor out of the corner of her eye, and kicks her under the table, silently telling her to stop being so obvious. Victor praises Mary Margaret for the spaghetti dish and Ruby feels the guilt niggling again.

"Parmesan cheese?" she asks, handing Victor a glass bowl.

"Yes, thank you." He sprinkles it liberally over his pasta. Victor twirls the spaghetti around his fork and takes a hefty bite. He begins to cough, hard. "That's not cheese," he sputters. "It's garlic."

"You hate garlic?" Mulan asks, eyebrows raised.

"No, I like garlic, just not a heaping spoonful of it."

"Ruby?" Mary Margaret asks, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I'm so sorry, Victor, I grabbed the wrong bowl."

Merida dribbles a little of the holy water she purchased from the church gift store into the pitcher while Victor is downing his glass of water and Mary Margaret went into the kitchen to get the cheese. "Here, let me give you a refill," Merida offers, leaning over to Victor. Purposely, she misses his glass and spills water all over his pant leg.

Victor jumps from the table, knocking his knee into the heavy wood. "Ahh," he says fanning his pant leg with his napkin.

"Does it burn?" Mulan asks, eyes wide and bright.

"Burn? It's freezing! Are you nuts? What is going on here?"

Ruby comes up from behind him, holding a compact in front of her. "You have a little of that garlic on your chin," she says, holding the compact directly in front of his face. He wipes at his reflection furiously and then walks away.

"What are you doing?" Mary Margaret asks Ruby, her eyes flashing. She is _pissed_.

"Look, I don't know what the deal is here, but I'm going to go. Thanks for dinner, Mary Margaret."

Victor walks away, Mary Margaret chasing after him. Ruby leans her head against the wall. "I hate you guys."

"We had to see. It's obvious Victor is not our guy. He seems to like your friend, I'm sure he'll get over it." Mulan shrugs, takes another forkful of spaghetti and puts on her jacket.

…

They sit on the beach, side by side, hips touching, looking out at the angry ocean.

"I was actually here on business," Regina explains. "Youngest executive on the board. At twenty-eight I was already on the fast track to VP. My drive was my greatest success and my biggest weakness. I could have executed the deal over conference call, but I was so determined to do it in person. I wanted to look him in the eye while we finalized the hostile takeover of his company." She scoffs. "The night before my meeting, I came out to the boardwalk to snub my nose at the two dollar pizza and watery coffee drinks. And then I met Mal," Regina takes a deep breath, looking down as Emma rubs her index finger along Regina's thumb. "She was very sweet, very sexy, and very persuasive. She took me on a midnight stroll in the woods and brought some very _special_ wine. Her little minions were nowhere in sight, so there wasn't anything particularly threatening about it. If I had just stayed in my hotel room. If I had just watched a rerun of _Friends_ and ordered an overpriced salad, I'd be sitting in my high-rise right now."

Emma moved closer as she felt Regina shiver, doubtfully from being cold. "Why didn't you just leave?"

"And do what? Go home, having no idea what was going to happen to me? I do still have to drink it, Emma. You will too, or you'll weaken to the point of no return."

"Blood?" Emma asks, knowing the answer.

"Yes. _Wine_ as Mal calls it."

"Is it _her_ blood?"

"As far as I know."

"I wish I had met you under different circumstances," Emma says sadly.

Regina laughs, hearty and full, the first time Emma has heard her express anything but pain. It's music to her ears.

"No, you don't. I would have been interested, definitely. You're _very_ attractive, Emma. But I was solely focused on my career. I didn't earn the nickname the Evil Queen by accident. No one got in my way. If they did, I disassembled them, piece by piece. It was a gift, actually," Regina tells her, still smiling. "I wasn't the nicest person, I can admit that now. Mal probably sensed that and figured I'd fit in easily." She looks over at Emma and tucks a piece of blonde hair behind her hair. "I was surprised to find that she was wrong."

Emma kisses the top of Regina's shoulder and stands, stretching out her legs. "I'll be right back," she says, nodding to the stand-alone building nearby, the beach restrooms. She jogs away, her stomach a tumult of anxiety and fear, but tinged with happiness and excitement. Being with Regina _did_ something to her, though she couldn't pinpoint what exactly. When Regina was close, everything else just drifted away. It was comforting and frightening and electrifying.

She exits the restroom, shaking excess sand from her sandal. She looks over to where Regina was positioned, only to find a head of blonde curls sitting in her place. Emma breaks out into a run, which was ultimately unnecessary. She was upon Mal before she even took another step.

"Where is she?" Emma hisses, her eyes ablaze.

Mal says nothing, just stands very close to Emma. Their noses practically touch.

"Where _is she?"_ Emma asks again, grabbing Mal by the collar of her leather jacket.

Mal laughs, cocky and insincere. "Why do you want to know, Emma? Are you falling in _love_ with her?" she mocks. "It will never happen. But if you _ever_ want to see her again, you'll come with me. Now."


	5. Chapter 5

Mal parks her bike at the edge of the trees, motioning for Emma to follow her. Emma reluctantly does, but her fear is palpable. She can hear whooping and laughing and a fire crackling in the distance. They make their way to a clearing, where several young men are drinking around a fire pit. Ursula, Cruella, and Zelena are standing there, watching them with menace.

"What are we doing here?" Emma asks, hoping for the best, knowing the worst.

Mal is watching them with the same vigor as the others. "Initiation's over, Emma. Time to join the club," she snarls, licking her lips. She turns to Emma, fully, revealing glowing yellow eyes and piercing fangs. She isn't prepared for this. Emma gasps, as the others circle around her, mirroring Mal. They are smiling and laughing, feral, unstoppable.

Emma watches in horror as the four women descend. Before the partiers even know what's happening, screams fill the air. Mal snaps the head back of a mohawked man and plunges her fangs into the soft flesh of his neck. His body goes limp immediately and when she's finished, she throws him to the ground. Zelena digs her nails into one of their chests, lifting him off the ground one-handed. She brings him back down to her and begins feeding from his chest, groaning in a violently sexual way. Ursula takes off after the smallest of the group tries to run, she lets him have a sliver of hope before she drags him back to the fire pit by his leg. She attaches her fangs to his inner thigh, eliciting a scream that makes Emma cover her ears. She watches them, wanting to stop them, knowing she can't, when she feels her something inside of her transform. She touches her teeth, shaking uncontrollably. A sharp fang pricks her index finger. Some part of her wants to join them.

When the carnage is complete, they walk slowly back to her, satisfied and elated. Blood covers their mouths and their clothing, she watches as Cruella licks the tips of her fingertips.

"Now you know what we are," Mal says throatily, "now you know what you are. You'll never grow old. And you'll never die. But you _must_ feed." They're all giddy and light-headed, watching Emma, feeding off of her fear.

Emma says nothing, just lets out a gasping sob and drops to her knees. She looks at the bodies, discarded like trash, and fights the urge to throw up. She looks back to Mal, but finds that they are gone. All of them. She drops to the ground on her back, and stares up at the starless sky.

…

A blast of air rattles the window. Emma looks up to see Regina standing in her room, and frankly, she isn't even surprised. She sits cross-legged on her bed, still sick and traumatized from earlier.

"Do you know where they took me tonight?" she asks Regina, her voice barely a whisper.

"I can only assume. I was waiting for you on the beach and the next thing I knew I was waking up in my bed. It occurred to me that it was probably time for her to break you." Regina tentatively sits next to Emma, unsure if she will be pushed away or embraced.

Emma doesn't move, shock still enveloping her. Regina reaches over, pulling Emma into her. Emma collapses against her and moans tearfully. Regina tries to calm her, soothing her hand over Emma's hair, drawing circles on her wrist with the other.

Ruby walks in without knocking, taking in the scene in front of her. "Did you do something to her?" she asks Regina suspiciously, keeping a hand on the doorknob.

"No, I would never hurt her," Regina answers, fighting the urge to flee. She scans Ruby with her eyes, searching for weapons.

"I'm okay," Emma croaks. "I just can't do this, Ruby. I saw them… _feed_ on _people_ tonight. I can't live like this."

Ruby's face falls as she watches her friend sob, clutching onto Regina for comfort. As wary as Ruby is, she senses something in Regina that makes her believe that she isn't going to hurt them. "Have you killed anyone yet?"

Regina shakes her head, still running her hand over Emma's hair.

"Good. This ends now."

"What are you going to do?" Emma asks, wiping at her eyes.

"I've got connections," Ruby smiles. She closes the door, determined, and dials her phone.

Regina stands, straightening the hem of her silk blouse. "I'm so sorry you had to see that. I'll go if you'd like to be alone for a while."

"No, please. Stay with me," Emma asks, pulling Regina back onto the bed with her. She cups her face and kisses her, lightly at first, and then with fire and need. There's no explanation; she just saw the most frightening and violent episode of her entire life, and yet, she wants to be close to Regina, to feel her, to be _inside_ of her. She's thankful Regina doesn't ask questions, only responds physically. Emma unbuttons her shirt, keeping contact with her mouth the entire time. Regina moans appreciatively and climbs on top of Emma, their bare stomachs touching. Emma slowly slides her fingers below the waistband of Reinga's pants, and at Regina's gasp, she is transported, someplace far away, somewhere that all of this doesn't exist, and she's happy. For one brilliant moment, she's happy.

…

Ruby opens the door, letting Mulan and Merida into the living room. They both have backpacks, and Merida drops a large duffel bag onto the floor. "Okay, where is she?"

"Hello to you too. Who?" Ruby smiles, still adjusting to their abruptness.

"Nosferatu. The blood sucker. Creature of the night," Mulan deadpans.

"Emma!"

Emma walks down the stairs slowly, sunglasses on. It's late afternoon, but the sun is still shining brightly. They pile into Granny's old Jeep, Emma at the wheel. She takes them to the cave, where she walks over to Ruby as Merida and Mulan are performing weapon checks on each other.

"I don't think you should go in there," Emma says, massaging her temples.

"I'm going," Ruby tells her, rubbing her arm.

"They're brutal killers, Ruby. I won't have the strength to protect you."

"Emma, I'm here to protect _you_. I love you. Even though you're a…vampire, you're still my best friend."

Emma chuckles softly and hugs her friend. "This seems like a really bad idea."

Merida turns to Emma. "You. If you turn on us or vamp out in any way, I'll stake you without even thinking twice about it."

Ruby rolls her eyes. "Take it easy, girls. She's on our side."

They both nod and make their way toward the opening.

Once inside, Ruby whistles quietly. "Holy shit," she says, looking around the enormous long-ago-lobby. Mulan removes a wooden stake and a mallet from her duffel bag.

"I found one," Merida calls out, pulling back a sheer curtain. "Mulan, you ready?"

"NO!" Emma screams. "Don't touch her!" She runs over to Regina, nudges her awake. "Come on, we have to get out of here." Regina jolts awake and nods, getting up slowly. Emma covers her head with a jacket to block out some of the harsh sunlight.

Merida and Mulan look to Ruby for confirmation. She nods, Regina isn't their target. They keep searching for the rest of the vampires, turning up nothing. Ruby calls them over to a dark hole covered by strategically placed wooden planks. "There's a draft here," she says, holding her hand out toward it.

"This is probably it then," Mulan agrees, moving aside the boards. "Let's do this." The slowly make their way over stone, cobwebs, and long-dead branches through a dark and narrow pathway. They end at wall of dirt, their flashlights barely illuminating the trail.

"Where are they?" Ruby whispers, her heart pounding in her ears.

Mulan shines her flashlight toward the ceiling, where Ruby screams. Merida quickly claps a hand over her mouth. The four vampires dangle from the ceiling, their hair hanging in curtains behind them. "Shouldn't they be in coffins or something?" Ruby asks quietly, her voice breaking.

"This whole place is one giant coffin," Mulan tells her.

Merida makes her way up the stone wall, wooden stake sticking out of her backpack. "This is when they're at their most vulnerable. It's our best chance." None of the vampires have moved, they are still sleeping soundly.

Cruella is closest to her. Ruby starts to yell to her to stop, but she's too late. Merida positions her stake against Cruella's chest.

"Goodnight, bloodsucker," she chides. Merida plunges the stake deep into her chest. Cruella's eyes fly open, she's screaming and grasping at the object protruding from her chest. Blood pours from her wound, covering Merida. The others open their eyes as well, fangs sharp and ready. They fall from their perches ready to attack, but still groggy and disoriented. Ruby, Merida and Mulan scramble for the exit, clawing their way through branches toward the dim sunlight of the underground haven. Merida and Mulan climb out first, with Ruby close behind. As she's climbing out, she feels a hand grasp her ankle. She screams, and the other two try desperately to pull her out. Mal looks directly into Ruby's eyes before abruptly letting go, whispering "You're dead."

They run as fast as their legs will carry them, finally making it to safety outside. "Emma! Start the car! Start the car!" she screams. Emma jerks awake, Regina asleep on her chest. She gently pushes her off against the passenger side window and revs the engine.

"What the fuck happened?" she yells, as the three pile into the car at lightning speed.

"We got one of them," Merida tells her, wiping blood off of herself with a napkin.

"Which one?"

"The one with the black and white hair. The blonde one is really, really _pissed._ "

Emma shakes her head in disbelief. "No shit! Was that the plan?"

"Of course that wasn't the plan!" Mulan yells back. "We blew it! We've never done this with all of them in one place like that before. I didn't know they'd all wake up!"

Emma runs a hand through her hair. "Do we have a plan B?"

"We need to come up with one right now," Merida says. "We have three hours to figure it out."

"Why, what's in three hours?" asks Ruby.

"Sunset."


	6. Chapter 6

Emma and Regina are sleeping on Emma's bed, as peacefully as though it were just a normal day, girlfriends enjoying each other's company. Emma slowly opens her eyes, the reality of what's about to happen sinking in. She feels badly that she can't help Ruby and the others prepare, but if she's going to have any strength at all, she has to rest. She's petrified, she's exhausted, and she's fully aware she might not live through the night.

Across town, Ruby, Mulan and Merida are gathering supplies. As terrified as Ruby is, she's focused and ready. The prospect of saving her friend's life is oddly gratifying, and though she clearly would have preferred a quiet summer of beaching it, she's feeling brave and useful for the first time in a long time.

They burst through the doors of a massive church, the smell of incense assaulting their nostrils as soon as they walked in. The few people seated in the pews turned abruptly at the racket, and Ruby gives them a tight-lipped smile and quick wave while they filled canteens with holy water.

On the way back to the house, Ruby sifts through the grocery bags. "Does this stuff actually work?"

"I don't know about garlic. It could be a myth, but we have to try everything. No point in being under-prepared. The rest works," Mulan shrugs. Ruby is in amazement at how calm and collected they are. Neither of them seem rattled in the least; if anything, they appear excited for the adventure.

Emma sneaks out of bed, kissing Regina gently on the temple. She walks downstairs, the light fading quickly. Ruby and Merida have filled the bathtub with holy water, and are submerging water guns in it. Mulan pours a pan of chopped garlic into the water, swirling it with her hands. Emma shuts and locks every door, every window, pushes heavy furniture against every entrance to the house. Granny left for her date an hour ago, and Mary Margaret was once again out with Victor. There's no turning back.

…

At the edge of the ocean, beneath a rocky cliff, darkness seeps in. She awakens, screaming in anger and agony. It's time.

…

They sit in front of the fireplace, testing out bow and arrows, sharpening stakes, trying to be as prepared as possible for the unknown. The tension is thick.

"Is there any chance that they, maybe, won't come?" Ruby asks, her voice small.

"No chance. They'll be here. And you have to remember when you destroy a vampire, some go quietly, some go screaming. Some explode, some implode. But _all_ will try to take you with them," Merida says.

"This is fucking insane," Emma whispers, looking around at the group of them. Regina places a hand on her thigh.

It's quiet. There's an uncomfortable stillness in the air, like an impending storm. It's full dark now, and everyone is on edge.

The brass fireplace screen rattles, and they all turn to look. At that moment, Zelena explodes from the fireplace, landing on her feet in the center of the room. She's angry and her eyes are blazing yellow. Amid screams, the room goes dark.

Another bang sounds from upstairs, shutters clanging back and forth. Merida and Mulan take the stairs two at a time, confronted by Ursula standing behind the bathroom door. She turns the corner smoothly, smiling.

"You killed Cru," says spits at Merida, reaching for her. Mulan looks down at the bathtub, garlic cloves floating on top. Ursula laughs. "Garlic doesn't work, girls." She grabs Merida by the throat, lifting her off her feet.

"How about holy water?" Mulan yells, grabbing a handful of water and splashing Ursula's face. Ursula drops Merida to the ground and grabs at her face.

"You're fucking dead," she screams, heaving herself at Mulan. Merida grabs her jacket and pulls on her, causing them both to lose their balance. Merida pushes forward, Ursula falling face first into the bathtub. She pushes her down before scrambling off of her, falling to the tile below. The water begins to churn, turning a putrid shade of red as Ursula screams in agony, tearing at her skin. It bubbles and cracks, leaving a floating mess of blood and bone.

Mulan stands over the bathtub, still in shock, before breaking out in peals of laughter. "Who's _fucking_ dead now, asshole?" Merida grabs her from behind, squeezing her into a bear hug. "Another one down!"

Ruby fumbles in the darkness, Emma lying on the ground next to her. "Emma!" she whispers, shaking her. She finds her phone in her back pocket, presses the flashlight with a trembling hand. She turns the light to the open room and stares into the eyes of Zelena.

"Hello, darling," she says sweetly, before baring her fangs. Ruby screams and backs away, but Zelena is too fast for her.

"Zel-ena," Regina calls in a sing-song voice from the other side of the room. "You know, I never did like you."

Zelena turns as Regina's letting the arrow fly from the bow. Zelena falls to the ground in a slump. Ruby flips on a lamp, allowing at least a little light into the room. "Is she dead?" Ruby asks cautiously, walking toward the figure on the ground.

Zelena jumps up, directly on her feet. "You missed, Regina," she smiles, running her tongue over teeth.

"Only once," Regina smirks, releasing the second arrow. It hits Zelena directly in the chest, propelling her backwards into the wall. She screams in pain, attempting to pull the arrow out, but it's too late. She slumps to the ground in a pool of her own blood. The yellow slowly fades from her eyes leaving a cloudy blue in its place.

Emma finally comes to, rubbing at the back of her head. She finds Regina standing with her bow and arrow, breathing heavily. "What happened? Is it over?"

Merida and Mulan rejoin the others in the living room. They see Zelena on the ground and Mulan claps Regina on the back. "Two down."

"We need to re-group," Ruby says. "The leader hasn't come yet."

"She will," Regina says, looking out the window.

"Quick, go upstairs," Melan urges. "Let her come find us."

They run up the stairs, Emma trailing. Before she can make her way to the top, Mal drops down from the ceiling. "Em-ma," she says, drawing out the syllables, baring her teeth. She pushes, hard, and Emma falls down the stairs with an unceremonious thump. The door to the bedroom that houses the others slams shut, and Emma can hear them jiggling the doorknob to get out. She is thrown back again by an invisible slap to the face. She looks around, seeing nothing. She is pushed from behind.

"Afraid to face me, Mal?" she asks loudly, anger building within her.

She hears laughter. Mal appears on one of the beams that line the top half of the log cabin. She flips her long hair and raises her eyebrows. "I was trying to make you immortal, Emma."

"You were trying to make me a killer."

Emma is thrown back once again, knocked off her feet. She is on all fours, trying to catch her breath. She looks up at Mal, her eyes glowing and fangs threatening.

"You _are_ a killer, Emma."

Emma takes off, colliding with Mal in mid-air. They struggle, clawing and pushing, blood dripping from the open wound under Emma's eye. Mal pushes back fiercely and has Emma pinned against the wall. "I don't want to kill you," she says, so close to Emma's face that their lips are practically brushing. "Join us."

"Never," Emma responds, struggling to breathe with the force against her abdomen.

"It's too late," Mal tells her, running a thumbnail along Emma's jaw line. "My blood is in your veins."

Emma summons her strength, steeling her grip on Mal's upper arms. " .MINE!" she yells, throwing Mal off of her. She is on her before Mal can get back to her feet, and using her panic and ferocity as fuel, she knocks Mal backwards. She stumbles, growling deep within her throat, and falls directly on Granny's stuffed deer, the antler piercing her back. She yells in pain and tries to stand. Emma hurls herself forward, thrusting her shoulder in Mal's stomach. Mal is powerless with something stuck in her chest, and she falls backward even further, impaled.

"Not like this," Mal yelps, tears pouring down her cheeks. She tries to turn her head but can't, and falls back against the antler, lifeless.

"Emma!" Regina yells, taking off down the stairs the second they were freed. She seems Emma standing over Mal's body, and she gasps, holding onto Emma's hand.

"Nothing's changed," Emma tells her, still in vampire form. "She wasn't the head vampire."

"Then who the hell is?" Mulan asks, touching one of Mal's curls very gingerly.

"I don't know, but she's right. I don't feel any different," Regina agrees, rubbing the back of her neck. "Someone else is out there."

"What the hell is going on in here?"

They stand still, eyes wide. Ruby walks toward the front door, seeing Mary Margaret and Victor walking slowly into the living room. She rushes up to her. "Listen, you need to get out of here."

Victor walks away from them to where Mal is lying motionless. He touches her face gently and sighs sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Mary Margaret. This is all my fault," he says, running a hand through his hair.

"What are you talking about? Is that a _person_?" Mary Margaret asks, more of a squeal than a question, when she spots Zelena in the corner.

"It seems my girls have misbehaved. I'd hoped it would never come to this," he tells her.

"I knew it. You _are_ the head vampire," Ruby says, trying to spot one of the stakes they left on the floor.

" _What?!"_ Mary Margaret asks again, her face a blanket of confusion.

"Mmm," he answers.

"But…you passed the test?" Mulan questions.

"Your test was juvenile, my dear girl. And you," he eyes Ruby, "should never invite a vampire into your house, don't you know that? It renders you powerless."

"Has everyone here lost their _minds?_ What is the matter with all of you?" Mary Margaret is shaking her head, feeling like she is in some parallel universe of insanity.

"I'm sorry, Mary Margaret. It was you who I was after all along. Once I found out who Emma was, I thought that maybe we could be one big happy family. I told Mal to take it easy on her, let her be the one to _want_ it. You ruined that, I presume?" he asked, turning to Regina with yellow eyes.

"No one invited you in this time, Victor," Emma growls, still in feral mode. She lunges at him, but he flings her off like she's a toddler. Regina picks up the bow, but he's on her before she can even get an arrow on to it. He throws her to the ground easily.

"You're no match for me. Any of you. Come on Mary Margaret," he says, showing her his razor-like teeth. "Don't fight. It's so much easier if you don't fight. We can be happy together." He extends his hand to her.

Mary Margaret looks around, her eyes like saucers. Emma is slumped against the wall, Regina is lying in the middle of the floor, Ruby is cowering next to the fireplace. Even Mulan and Merida are standing near the door, ready to make a break for it. Knowing she has nowhere to turn, no escape, she puts her hand in his and begins to cry.

Victor's about to sink his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck when a car horn loudly interrupts the sadistic ceremony. They all look up to see Granny plow through the front door with her shotgun aimed. Mary Margaret dashes to the side, giving her a straight shot. She pulls the trigger, sending Victor flying backwards and into the fireplace. He screeches violently. Regina scrambles for Mulan's sharpened stake and crawls toward him, plunging it deep into Victor's chest. He screams, again, and the fireplace ignites in a burst of flame. Regina jumps away from it, landing at Mary Margaret's feet.

They all stare, watching the body consumed by the fire, nobody daring to say a word. Emma is the first to break the silence, letting out a half laugh, half sob. "It's over," she says, touching her flattened teeth. Regina rushes over to her, wrapping her arms around Emma's neck.

Granny walks to the kitchen wordlessly, opens a Pepsi and gulps about half of it down. They all just stare at her. "One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach. All the damn vampires."

"How did you…know?" Mary Margaret asks, her face covered in soot.

"I looked in the window and saw this one," she motions to Emma, "sailing across the room. Had to do something." Granny shrugs and finishes off her Pepsi.

…

Emma packs the last of her things into the moving truck and closes the sliding door. Ruby is standing next to her, kicking at a rock.

"You do know that I'd be dead if not for you, right? If not dead, I'd be ripping the throat out of some poor tourist. Either way, I don't know if I can ever thank you enough."

Ruby smiles at her friend. "You definitely can never thank me enough. That's a given. But really, what were my options? Do nothing? Stake you myself? You're the level-headed one of the group. Imagine the things I'd do if you weren't around to stop me."

Emma chuckles. "When are you coming home?"

"I'll be home for Thanksgiving. You know I can't leave Granny to deal all of this herself, plus I kinda like the idea of working with those two weirdos. And, if this situation ever comes up, we know how to deal with it. I'm like the female Van Helsing and shit."

"Yeah, you are," Emma laughs. "Thanks for driving Mary Margaret to the airport. I don't think she would have lasted on another road trip, you know, considering."

"Yeah. The fact that her boyfriend tried to make her one of the undead and then burned to a crisp right in front of her eyes. Heavy."

Emma pulls her in for a tight hug. "I love you. Be careful. Call me every day."

Ruby squeezes back. "I will. I love you too. Can you maybe try to _not_ get her turned into a werewolf or a zombie or something, please? I don't think I can go through this again." she says, looking at Regina who's throwing a pair of sandals into the front seat.

"I'll do my best," Regina replies, giving Ruby a quick hug. "Thank you," she says, taking Ruby's hands in her own. "You saved our lives."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the savior, I get it. You two go," she says, kicking the tire of the truck. "I'll see you in a couple months."

They wave as Ruby walks back to the house. Regina gets into the front seat, Emma behind the steering wheel. "You know, Maine is really beautiful in autumn. I think you'll like it."

Regina leans forward, Emma takes the hint. She kisses her softly on the lips, running her tongue slowly against Regina's bottom lip.

"Mmm," Emma groans. "We won't make it three miles if you keep this up."

Regina pulls back, satisfied with herself. "So what is there to do in _Storybrooke_ , Maine anyway?"

"It's just an average, run-of-the-mill, boring little town. You know, the usual. Witches, dragons, fairies, demons…"

"Oh, shut up, Emma. I'm looking forward to going somewhere _normal._ " Regina smiles, and intertwines her fingers with Emma. Emma throws on her sunglasses and backs out of the driveway.


End file.
